Chana Masala (Masala Chana – Chickpeas)

Categories: Indian, Vegetables

Ingredients

• 8 oz dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
• 2 oz tamarind pulp
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ginger, 1 inch piece of, grated
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• chopped fresh chillies and onion to garnish

Directions

1. Dried ginger or galangal, cayenne/dried chili, fresh spices substitutable for the ginger, chili and spices, respectively. I use fresh coriander and cumin instead of ground and a mortar & pestle to grind them along with the salt and ground turmeric. I also use more boiling water to soak the tamarind pulp in – 3/4 to 1cup since 1/2 cup makes it very thick.

2. ace soaked chickpeas in a large pan with double the amount of water. Boil for 10minutes, remove any scum that rises to the top. Cover pot and boil for 1.5-2hours or until chickpeas are soft. Drain.

3. While the chickpeas are cooking, soak the tamarind pulp in the boiling water for 15minutes, break up into pieces, and mash together to form a sludge. Rub the tamarind mixture through a sieve, and discard any fiber and stones left behind.

4. Heat oil in a large pot and fry the 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chili and fry for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.

5. Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt ; fry for 3-4 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add the chickpeas to the tomato-onion mixture, along with the garam masala and tamarind pulp. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Garnish with chopped chillies and onion before serving.

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